Grammar Guide: Perfect Progressive Tenses

During the month of February, people from countries all over the world are gearing up for Valentine's Day. While Valentine's Day used to celebrate specifically lovebirds, today in the United States, we use the holiday to show gratitude to all of the people we love, including friends and family. On February 14th, gifts, chocolate, flowers, and Valentine's Day cards are exchanged. One tradition in the United States is to share a fancy dinner together with romantic music in the background. 


Perfect Progressive Tenses
Perfect progressive is the mixture between perfect and progressive. It combines the two aspects to create the idea of an action or situation beginning at an earlier time and continuing to another point of reference. Similarly, the perfect progressive can occur in the past, present, or future. In many cases, the perfect progressive is nearly identical to the perfect; however, the perfect progressive emphasizes a progressive (or continuous) action and can be expressed only with action verbs (rather than stative verbs like know, be, or have).

We form the perfect progressive using a form of HAVE + BEEN + the present participle.

Present Perfect Progressive
The present perfect progressive can express two meanings:
1. An action or situation beginning in the past and continuing to the present
  • We have been dating for 3 years.
  • They have been celebrating Valentine's Day since they got married.
2. An action or situation occurring recently (often changing the present circumstances)
  • She has been crying (and now her face is red) because her boyfriend broke up with her.
  • Julie and Tom have been laughing so much that now their sides hurt!
Past Perfect Progressive
The past perfect progressive can express two meanings:
1. An action or situation beginning before another point in the past and continuing to that point
  • Jeffrey had been planning to surprise his valentine for two weeks before February 14th.
  • By the time Susan went on her first date, she had been feeling lonely.
2. An action or situation occurring close in time to a point in the past (often changing those circumstances)
  • Jennifer had been sleeping when Ben surprised her with breakfast. 
  • When Jack proposed to Lucy, she had been smiling.
Future Perfect Progressive
The future perfect progressive expresses an action or situation beginning sometime (in the past, present, or future) that continues to a future point.
  • We will have been dating for 6 years by Valentine's Day.
  • By the time my boyfriend comes home, I will have been waiting for him for 3 months.
  • John and Sara will have been seeing each other for 1 year when they get married.
The following is an excerpt from the song "Waiting for a Girl Like You" by Foreigner. Can you find all the perfect progressives?
  • So long
    I've been looking too hard, I've waiting too long
    Sometimes I don't know what I will find
    I only know it's a matter of time
    When you love someone
    When you love someone

    It feels so right, so warm and true
    I need to know if you feel it too

    Maybe I'm wrong
    Won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong?
    This heart of mine has been hurt before
    This time I wanna be sure

    I've been waiting for a girl like you
    To come into my life
    I've been waiting for a girl like you
    A love that will survive
    I've been waiting for someone new
    To make me feel alive
    Yeah, waiting for a girl like you
    To come into my life

    You're so good
    When we make love it's understood
    It's more than a touch or a word we say
    Only in dreams could it be this way
    When you love someone
    Yeah, really love someone

    Now, I know it's right
    From the moment I wake up till deep in the night
    There's no where on earth that I'd rather be
    Than holding you, tenderly

    I've been waiting for a girl like you
    To come into my life
    I've been waiting for a girl like you
    And a love that will survive
    I've been waiting for someone new
    To make me feel alive
    Yeah, waiting for a girl like you
    To come into my life

    I've been waiting, waiting for you, ooh
    Ooh, I've been waiting
    I've been waiting, yeah
    I've been waiting for a girl like you
    I've been waiting
    Won't you come into my life?
    My life?
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